Reality
by FeatherKittyMeow
Summary: Hinata loves Naruto. She confessed to him herself. Neji wishes things were otherwise.
1. Hinata Loves Naruto

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Story starts at Episode 166 of Naruto Shippuden where Hinata attempted to defeat Pein.

* * *

><p>"Hinata… Loves… Naruto…" Sakura's voice burned in his ears.<p>

Neji's eyes widened as the truth hit him hard. He saw his vision beginning to blur with tears and felt his stomach lurch.

"I-I'm sorry, I have something to do," Neji excused himself as quickly as he could.

Neji didn't even wait for his comrades to reply. He just forced a much chakra as he could into his feet and dashed out of the battle field at an unusually high speed. Neji didn't care where he was going. He just wanted to run away from Sakura's words. He NEEDED to run away from Sakura's words.

"Hinata loves Naruto," those words rung over and over again in his head. Neji admitted that he knew this all along. But each time the topic tied to creep into his mind, Neji would force it back down with the stone-cold look he constantly wears. However, now that it was said in audible words, it was real. It was unavoidable.

Neji finally slowed when he found himself in a forest. As soon as he stopped, the wind was no longer able to blow away his tears. The Hyuuga reached up and touch his cheek. He found it cold, wet, and most of all, alone.

_Hyuugas do not cry! _Neji insisted upon himself._ But Hinata-sama does. That makes it alright, does it not?_

The thought of Hinata's face streaked with tears brought more tears to his own eyes. His head begun to hurt and his body shook from crying. His sobs weakened his legs under him. Lost in sorrow, Neji allowed himself to slide down against a tree and burry his head in his knees

In that position, Neji finally began to think. _Why am I crying? I am just a worthless jerk who neglected Hinata-sama's presence for most of her childhood. For heaven's sake, I tried to kill her! Naruto had always been there as a role model for her when I was not. He makes her happy; he makes her feel needed. Just a sight of him makes Hinata-sama smile. Darn it Neji, this is reality!_

Then he noticed his love for her was reality too.

-x-

As the sun was beginning to set, Neji figured he had to go back to his colleagues before they began to worry. Neji activated his Byakugan to search for them. Within seconds, they were found in a hospital tent, waiting for Hinata to awake again. Neji hesitated before opening the tent's flaps. One last time, Neji wiped his eyes. Just as he entered the tent, the patient on the stretcher began to stir.

"Hinata-sama!" Neji ran to her, sadness being pushed away by relief.

Hinata wrestled to open an eye. With her first minuet of consciousness, Hinata used great effort to squeeze out, "Is Naruto-kun safe?"

Neji felt his heart detach itself from the veins.


	2. Can't Let Go

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Hinata watched Neji train in the courtyard of the new Hyuuga mansion. Although Pein had completely whipped out Konoha a week ago, the Hyuuga were rich enough to hire an express crew to build a new house.

Thud, thud, thud. Neji hit the hay human tied on the wooden post, leaving unmistakable marks and loose hay on the ground. Finally, the male let his arms fall to his sides and walked to Hinata for a break.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, draping a towel around his neck.

"I-I feel a l-little better everyday. T-thank you for l-letting me w-watch you train until I-I am fully w-well," Hinata offered a cup of tea.

"Anytime," Neji invited, "Watching others is always a good way to improve your skills."  
>Following that was an awkward moment of silence. Hinata kept fidgeting around, clearly trying to find the right words and Neji drank Oolong, wondering if he should ask what was in her mind.<p>

"Would you," Neji hesitated, "like to say something?"

"Are you alright?" Hinata blurted out. She quickly clamped her hands over her mouth, surprised at what escaped.

"What do you mean?" Neji blinked.

Hinata sighed. She had already started it anyways. "I-it's just t-that your s-shirt was w-wet the d-day I w-went against P-Pein. Ss-so I w-was worried t-that something w-was troubling y-you," her voice wavered.

Neji was truly surprised at those words. How could he have not remembered to hide such important evidence of THE Hyuuga Neji weeping? And what if Hinata found out what he was actually crying for?

"I-I'm sorry, Neji-niisan!" Hinata responded to his blank face, "I-I didn't mean t-to invade your personal l-life!"

"Not at all, Hinata-sama," Neji reassured, "I was just… very worried about your well being, that's all."

That was partly true, but Hinata saw that there was more to it that what Neji claims. However, she didn't ask more lest her questions annoy her cousin.

"I'm glad Naruto-kun was able to defeat P-Pein," she changed the subject, not knowing what that little innocent sentence caused Neji's brain to think.

"Yes… that is most wonderful," Neji gazed into the sky. He was not sure of his emotions about the victory. The win protected many shinobis and citizens, but the win also meant that Naruto was still here and that Hinata still loved him.

Neji shook the thought away. _Did I just want my friend dead? HE was the one who freed me from fate! Plus, doesn't he always make Hinata-sama smile? Her smile makes any place and anything sunny… even me._

He looked over to Hinata who was sitting upright, lip neither smiling nor frowning. He wanted her to be happy, but the place she finds happiness most is in Naruto. It hurt his chest to even imagine Hinata with Naruto—the man she smiles for, the man she lives for.

Neji gritted his teeth. Oh, why does love hurt so much?


	3. Last Piece of Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Neji, Hinata, and an Iwagakure (Rock Village) ninja, Furuto, crept into a cave. It was a month after Hinata fully healed when the shinobi joined as one to fight against the mysterious masked man. Neji was reluctant to let Hinata join the forces, but here she was now, about to clear a cave from Zetsus.

The cave echoed only their footsteps for a long while. Buy when they could no longer see the mouth of the cave, something white popped out of the ground.

"Heeeeeeeellloooooo!" cried the first Zetsu.

After him, may, many Zetsus appeared from the walls, floor, and ceiling. All in all, the shinobi were surrounded.

The white Zetsus wasted no time leaping into battle, and neither did their opponents. Neji watched out for Hinata with his near 360 degree vision as he fought his own battles. He watched her fight like she was dancing under stars. Her arms moved like angels opening their wings and her turns were pirouettes worth 10.0. It was easy to imagine her twirling a nightfall colored ribbon over her head.

But after hours of fighting, the shinobi were getting tired like any normal person. Hinata's movements were not as fluid and Neji's were not nearly as sharp as before. As for Furuto, he was ready to flee at any call. Much to their disappointment, the number of Zetsus did not seem to have gone down. In fact, Neji suspected there were more of them than before.

Just the, Hinata was thrown against the wall of the cave. Her head split a crack on contact with the cave.

"Hinata-sama!" Neji cried, whipping around to face his cousin.

"We should really get out of here!" cried Furuto.

"The how *grunt* will we kill these Zetsus?" Neji yelled back, scooping Hinata up in his arms.

"I can probably blow that rock up," Furuto eyed a giant boulder.

"You could have blown this place up the whole time?" Neji made a mental note to face palm later.

"So is it a plan?" Furuto asked.

Neji confirmed it with a nod, standing up with Hinata.

Furuto raised an eyebrow, "You might not make it out in time with her extra weight and her occupying your arms."

Neji nodded in understanding, "I'm not leaving her."

"Suit yourself."

Furuto weaved some signs and blasted into a mad dash. Neji tried to keep up close behind Furuto so that he would not have to push away Zetsus in his path. However, it wasn't easy with Hinata. He felt the heat of the explosion lick his back and his body screaming for a rest. But still, he kept Hinata clutched to his body for what felt like miles.

-x-

Neji took one final leap out of the cave and tumbled onto the floor. Only after he stopped rolling did he dare let Hinata go. His chest rose and fell from his heavy panting and of sweat run onto the floor. _Oh,_ _beautiful blue sky_

"Oi! Hinata! Neji!" a familiar voice called. It was followed by a bark.

Neji was too fatigued to reply. Now that he knew someone was here to take care of his lady, his glands stopped producing extra chemicals, and he fell unconscious.

-x-

Beep, beep, beep. Neji woke up seeing a lot of white. _Am I dead?_ Then he felt a needle in his arm. He sat up and let the rest of the room sink into him. Next to his bed a monitor beeped steadily. He saw that he was sharing a hospital tent with an unconscious Hinata wrapped in layers of bandages.

After a minuet or so, the flap of the tent was brushed aside and Kurenai stepped through, Furuto told me what happened."

Neji wondered why that was important.

"I'm reassured to know someone is willing to put their life on the line for my pupil."

Neji waited for her to get to her point.

Kurenai sighed, "Neji, I'm sure you know Hinata has been adoring Naruto for a long time.

Neji felt fire burning inside his body. She came just to tell him this?

"What makes you say that all of the sudden?" he hissed.

"Please don't be angry. I just wanted to ask you a question," Kurenai raised her hands in front of her stomach, "I can see you didn't protect her just because she is part of the main branch. I just… I just wanted to know why you do all this and not tell her you… you…"

Neji suddenly felt his fire die down. He saw his vision getting blurry, tears threatening to spill before another person.

"Do you remember Hinata's fight with me at the Chunin exams?" his voice was barely a whisper.

Kurenai nodded. Could she not?

"That day. That day! I hospitalized her, stripped her life from her, and demoralized her. But every time I threw her down, she used every last ounce of her soul to get back up to the cheers of Uzumaki Naruto. 'My nindo is to never give up' she quoted him.

"Kurenai-sensei, how can I take her last standing piece of life by sticking my neck in her love life? I am seventeen now. I do not want to be that self-centered thirteen year-old I was before. This is why I did not and will not tell her as long as she still likes someone else."

Pit, pat. Neji's tears feel on to the hospital sheets. His hands clutched the blanket tight.

Kurenai gave him some silence before asking, "Then… why do you still try to love her?

Neji lifted his head and stared at the ceiling. "Because love is reality, and no matter which way you turn, reality tears you inside out."


	4. Love Can Kill

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Proposal idea from NigaHiga.

The fourth shinobi war passed and as did the years. Neji watched as his friends get married and start building loving families. Of course, Neji attended all the ceremonies and baby showers. Heck, he has even been best man twice. Each time, he wore his famous tiny smile. But deep inside, he wonders.

_When will it be my turn? Will it ever be my turn?_

When he turned thirty, these questions were soon answered. Neji just had a glass of water and was exiting the Hyuuga kitchen when he saw Naruto and Hinata returning with groceries. Quickly, Neji hid behind the cabinets.

Be a gentleman, Naruto was carrying most of the bags. As he walked to the refrigerator he suddenly fell onto his knees.

"Oh, my back!" he moaned.

Hinata quickly rushed over, "Naruto! Are you alright?"

Instead of saying yes or not, Naruto looked into her eyes.

"Marry me?" he asked, opening a violet box that contained a diamond ring.

Hinata clamped her hands over her mouth then opened them to embrace Naruto in a hug. "Of course," she sobbed.

Neji exhaled and closed his eyes. Stealthily, he slipped out of the kitchen. Without doubt, the new of the new couple would spread quickly though out the Hyuugas. Celebration will be held without fail, and Neji didn't want to be part of it. Bouncing on rooftops, Neji headed to where he could think most: the forest.

-x-

Neji sat on top of a tall tree, on arm resting on a bent knee. He looked into the stars.

"Father," he began, "I feel unable to shed tears for this event that makes me feel absolutely worthless. Is it logical for a miraculous event of two individuals connecting to be so devastating? However, Hinata-sama isn't just an individual. She's like… the sun that gives light to my plants. Everyone is special, but Hinata-sama isn't. She doesn't stand out. It might seem ironic, but in a crowd of neon colors, I can easily spot plain white.

"I deemed her as worthless once before. Indeed, back then, she was. But from a seed in the middle of a rotting fruit, she fought weeds and storms to finally bloom into a flower. A flower that's—oh Kami, she's beautiful, isn't she? Beautiful, strong, and bold. Then, as a caring flower, she takes in all the bad air and turns them into clean oxygen, turning a torn soul like mine into someone who actually learned to love.

"That is why you told me to protect her when I was four, right Father? You saw the spark in her, something I failed to see until it was too late. Instead of defending her, I attacked her. Now, more than anything, Father, I wish I had listened to your words.

"Father, Hinata-sama has someone else to care for her from now on. His name is Naruto Uzumaki. He is a great man who accepted Hinata-sama for who she was from the beginning. Perhaps this is why I cannot cry. I am reassure she is in good care and on a path to a very happy life. But still, Father, it hurts every time my heart beats."

Neji stood up, "Father, does it hurt at where you are?"

-x-

Neji sat next to Kiba at the wedding table for honored guest.

"Man, Neji, you really loved her to let her go," whispered Kiba as Hinata and Naruto gave a speech.

"What are you talking about?" snarled Neji.

"Don't play stupid," Kiba rolled his eyes, "Everyone can see you had a thing for Hinata."

"Hinata-sama didn't"

"Well, I guess… people are just oblivious to these things when it comes to themselves," Kiba explained.

Neji looked at Naruto and couldn't agree with Kiba more.

"How do you survive all these years?" inquired Kiba.

"It's like a wound," Neji shared, "Hinata was like a bandage that covered the cut. But then one day, a blonde hair boy comes and rips the bandage off."

Neji took a pill from his tuxedo pocket and opened it on top of his wine glass. Carefully, he tapped the pill so that all the powder fell. He then proceeded to tucking the empty skin of the pill under his napkin.

Swirling the wine, Neji continued, "Today, the wound is exposed again. But during the time with the bandages, a scalp had grown."

Neji watched Hinata and Naruto lean towards each other, heads tilted.

_Father, I finally understand your feelings… the freedom you felt when you chose to protect the feelings of you friends. Because when broken, feelings can kill._

Neji slowly lifted the wine glass to his lips.

**End**


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